LaQuinton Ross didn't really have a decision to make, a former coach said, merely an announcement. The 6-foot-8 Ross, Ohio State's leading scorer and rebounder this season, took care of that yesterday when he confirmed, in an athletics department news release, that he will forgo his final year of eligibility to make himself available for the NBA draft in June.

Bob Baptist, The Columbus Dispatch

LaQuinton Ross didn't really have a decision to make, a former coach said, merely an announcement.

The 6-foot-8 Ross, Ohio State's leading scorer and rebounder this season, took care of that yesterday when he confirmed, in an athletics department news release, that he will forgo his final year of eligibility to make himself available for the NBA draft in June.

"My goal has always been to play at the next level, and I believe now is the best time," Ross said in the release. He did not respond to a message seeking further comment.

Coach Thad Matta said in the statement that he wished Ross "nothing but the very best."

Wilson Arroyo, who coached Ross at Life Center Academy in Burlington, N.J., after Ross left his hometown of Jackson, Miss., during his junior year of high school, said Ross has long believed he was "destined to play in the NBA."

"That's always been in the back of his head, and I guess he was waiting for the right time," Arroyo said. "Last year seemed like it sparked interest, but (there was) not enough body of work. After this year, he felt he had completed enough body of work and, based on the feedback he was receiving … he feels it's the right time."

Ross had his coming-out for pro scouts in the 2013 NCAA tournament, scoring 53 points in 61 minutes off the bench against Iowa State, Arizona and Wichita State.

When Big Ten scoring leader Deshaun Thomas turned pro after that season, Ross became the Buckeyes' go-to scorer, but it proved a difficult succession. As this season wore on and Ross became the only player Matta could count on to score, he played Ross closer to the basket to maximize his scoring potential. But the move also allowed defenses to smother him. Ross averaged 15.2 points and 5.9 rebounds for the season.

Arroyo said Ross will need to focus on his perimeter skills in preparing to play on the wing as a pro.

"He needs to work on his ballhandling, his foot speed and his outside shooting, which to me is his greatest threat," Arroyo said. "I think he's a lights-out shooter when he's committed to doing that, and he needs to get his confidence back."

Ross missed 19 of 21 three-point shots in the Buckeyes' last eight games after making 40.8 percent to that point.

The departures of Ross and sophomore Amedeo Della Valle leave Ohio State with three available scholarships for next season. Coaches reportedly are pursuing transfers, including 6-9, 230-pound forward Anthony Lee of Temple, who has been visiting campus the past two days.

Lee will be a graduate transfer, meaning he would be eligible to play immediately. He also is considering Louisville, Iowa State, Indiana and Notre Dame.